La Petite Chic

Jimmy Buffett Summerzcool Tour - Camden, NJ Edition

What. An. Awesome. Time.  Every year it gets better and better, probably because each year we improve our tailgate and get more creative.  This time we brought a pop-up tent and thank god we did because it rained almost the whole day, really, up until the concert began.  Jon made margaritas from scratch and that made all the difference in the world.  Yes, it rained almost the whole day but we didn't let that spoil our fun.

Yes, this was a real, live parrot.  Or some sort of tropical bird...I'm no bird expert!

This tailgate had a "Bob for Pickles" station set up.  I love pickles and I always loved bobbing for apples as a kid so I just couldn't resist.  Jon got plenty of high fives from the guys because I grabbed that pickle in a few seconds flat!   Hee hee :)

 

I'm not exaggerating when I say people go balls to the wall at a Buffett tailgate. 

Exhibit 1:  A freaking volcano and bow of a ship!

 

Exhibit 2: A fully functioning shark-mobile!

 

Exhibit 3: Not one, but two blenders! (Serving delicious rum runners and margaritas, respectively).

 

Exhibit 4: A full-sized tiki bar!  Maybe next year we'll bring one of our own. :)

 

There was also limbo...which I earned a shot of tequila for.

 

And a parrot taller than Jon!

 

You end up making friends with everyone you meet! 

 

Of course when you get into the concert, your lawn seats are so very far away from the stage, but the music is loud and wonderful and that's all that matters.

 

Ahh, Buffett...how I love thee.  We get to do this all over again in September for the Labor Day weekend show in Bristow, VA.  We can't wait!

Beach Reads

You know what happens when you keep putting off posting until you get all of the photos you have on you camera uploaded?  Well, you don't blog for a week because said photos are still on said camera.  Ugh, I suck.  We took a lot of fun and hilarious pictures at the Jimmy Buffett concert last weekend and I've been wanting to share them all with you, but every time I remember to upload them, I also remember that they're in Jon's school bag.  His school bag which is at school with him until he gets home at 11:00 PM, way past this old girl's bedtime. 

So!  I still don't have the photos.  I was actually going to share photos with Honfest (from 2 weeks ago) with you all instead last night, but then our network went down.  Seriously.  So I said, eff it and gleefully read my book instead because I really can't put it down anyway.

It seems I've been on a bit of a Henry VIII kick lately.  It all started with King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes which was published way back in 1959.  It's a historical fiction novel based on the life of King Henry VIII's jester, Will Somers, who was in Henry's service through every single wife.  It was so intriguing and well written and I learned a lot of interesting facts about the life and wives of Henry VIII.  The novel left me wanting to devour more historical fiction, however, so when I saw a copy of The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory (author of The Other Boleyn Girl) for just $1 at a yard sale, I quickly snatched it up.

It has been such a good read thus far.  It chronicles the intercrossed paths of Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn (sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn) and Katherine Howard and their respective rise and falls and ohmygoodness, who knew history could be so soap opera-esque?  Well, actually, I did know that (the whole truth is stranger than fiction thing) and that's why I'm such a history nerd.  But seriously, if any of you are looking for some good beach reads this summer, I would highly recommend either one of those books. 

A year (and a day) ago, I shared the embarrasing evolution of my eyebrows.  I have no shame.

Last Minute Gifts for Father's Day

I can honestly say that I did not procrastinate this year and have been done with my Father's Day shopping for quite a few weeks now.  That's usually not the case because both my father and my father-in-law are hard men to shop for.  They were both vocal with their Father's Day requests this year though so they made my shopping extremely easy.  However, I realize there might be some of you out there who are still scratching your heads and wondering what to get the first man who ever loved you. 

Don't fret!  I've come up with some quick and easy ideas for what to give your dad on the day to celebrate him for all the kisses of skinned knees, taking you to the New Kids on the Block concert and waiting with you at the school bus stop every morning.  (Thank you, Dad!)

CHEAP: A home-cooked dinner

A lot of what I know about cooking I learned from my dad.  Since Jon and I moved in with my parents, my dad and I have been sharing cooking duties and I think he's secretly proud that I love to cook as much he does.  I think any dad would be thrilled to sit down to a home-cooked meal made especially for him by his daughter (or son!).

For the main course, I would serve this Chicken with Balsamic BBQ sauce (pictured above) with a side of Lipton Onion Roasted potatoes and corn on the cob fresh from the farmer's market.  Simple, yet delicious!  I think a fruit pie would be a great ending to the meal and this Fresh Peach Brown Sugar Pie sounds heavenly.

ACTIVE: Take your dad on a long bike ride or hike 

 

(photo found here)

Let's face it; more than anything else, your dad probably just wants to spend time with you.  How long has it been since you've had quality one-on-one time with him?  With work or school and/or other obligations breathing down our necks, it's sometimes hard to find the time to sit down with dear, ol' dad and catch him up on what you've been doing and to find out what he's been up to.  If you take him on a hike or bike ride, the only thing to distract you will be the beautiful scenery.  Treat it like a father/daughter (son) date and send him an evite requesting the pleasure of his company.  Pack a few sandwiches, snacks and drinks and stop along the way for a nice picnic lunch.

FROM AFAR: Send your dad a handwritten note of thanks

If you live miles and miles away from your dad and won't be seeing him in person, why not send him a letter of thanks for all of the little things he's done for you over the years?  If it were me, I would thank my dad for working the night shift when we were little so that one of my parents would always be home with us.  I would remind him about those bumpy ponytails he used to send me off to school with and tell him how I can still feel his big hands clumsily pulling my hair back.  I would thank him for the amazing opportunity he gave us to live in Germany and for watching the History Channel so much that I grew to love it too.  See, it's not that hard!  Wouldn't you love to receive a letter like that?

SPENDY: Treat your dad to a day at the ballpark

If your dad is a sports fan like mine is, I bet he would love if it you bought him tickets for a baseball game.  It doesn't matter if you're in the nosebleed section or club level, nothing beats watching the home team play ball while enjoying a hot-dog and beer with your dad.  Make sure to take a picture together and frame it to give to him the next time you see each other.  This would be a great tradition to start for every Father's Day.

Does anyone else have any good ideas to share with the rest of us?

Last year, I shared pictures from the Jimmy Buffett concert.  Good timing; we're going to our first of two this year on Saturday!

 

The Hostess with the Mostess

I'm a born hostess.  One of the things I hated most about living in our tiny condo was that there just wasn't enough space to host a proper party.  Sure, we entertained friends a lot in our home, but we were never able to host a big soirée, much to my chagrin.  Christmas parties, Halloween (my favorite!) parties, birthday parties...you name it, I have suppressed my inner hostess urge for way too long.

Now that we're living in a house (albeit, not our own), I already have three fabulous parties in the works.  The first is a bridal shower that my mother and I are hosting for my cousin's fabulous fiancé.  We adore her to pieces and are thrilled to be able to show our love for her and my cousin in this way.  The party isn't until the end of August but we already have favors purchased and a theme picked out.  We're way ahead of schedule!  I'm working on a design for the invitations and will post a picture once (and if!) they're done.

The second party I'm hosting is a graduation party for Jonathan.  He's taking his very last class for his MBA this summer and has just seven sessions to go.  Working towards his MBA has been a huge time commitment and I think we'll both be relieved when it's over.  Since I'm so proud of him (and selfishly, so happy he's done!), I wanted to celebrate him by hosting a fun graduation party.   Since we're skipping the anniversarymoon this year to save money, I'm throwing it the Sunday before Labor Day when we're normally on vacation.  The invitations went out yesterday (I wanted to get them out early since it's a holiday weekend) and I'm so pleased with the way they turned out.

As you might know, Jon and I are huge Parrotheads so I designed the invitation after the label on Jimmy Buffett's brand of beer, Landshark Lager.  The party itself will have an island theme and already I'm having fun deciding what we'll eat.  Jerk chicken will definitely be on the menu, as well as Key Lime Pie, but the rest is still undecided.  Here's a photo of the actual label and below it is a crappy iPhone photo of my invite. 

And last but certainly not least, I'm throwing my wonderful parents a party in September to celebrate their 40th anniversary.  (They are, after all, letting us live with them and host all of these parties in their home!)  For those of you doing the math and wondering just how old my parents are, they actually were married while still in high school so they're just in their fifties!  That's simply amazing to me.  I discussed the party with them last night and they would like to have an Oktoberfest theme.  I love it and have so many ideas running through my head already!  Of course there'll be würst and my famous hot German potato salad and I plan on making the backyard look like a beer tent, and my god, the ideas just keep coming the more I think about it!  This will definitely be a fun one to plan. 

Hopefully soon (we're thinking November), we'll have our very own home in which to host parties.  Heaven knows I can't wait!  I'm thinking a housewarming party would be the perfect way to celebrate being homeowners again, don't you? :)

Last year, I recapped our amazing trip to France (and since I missed it last Thursday, here is my recap of Germany).

On Driving in New Jersey (BAD) and Sherry's Bridal Shower (GOOD)

Let me start this post with an apology to the people of New Jersey:  I'm sorry.  I said some really awful stuff about your state on Sunday.  Stuff that would make a sailor blush and stuff that I thought back on later and thought, "Holy crap!  Where did I even come up with some of those curses?" 

In my defense, I was lost and late, two of the things I hate most in life.  When I'm lost, I get scared and frantic and when I'm late, I get irritable and anxious.  Those things do not add up to a pleasant Kate, as Jon can attest to when I called him frantically from some highway in New Jersey that morning.  Somehow I almost ended up in Staten Island, as in one of the five boroughs of New York City, when I was supposed to be on the Jersey shore for a bridal shower. 

Best of all, my iPhone crapped out on me.  Like screen froze, couldn't even power the damn thing off crapped out on me.  Thankfully, it re-booted itself five minutes after I tossed it on the passenger seat in disbelief and I was able to call Jon to get me the hell out of dodge.  All I'm saying, New Jersey, is that it would be helpful to label the Garden State Parkway road signs with it's appropriate title and not some green symbol and a large P because that was not at all useful to an out-of-state driver. 

I did eventually make it to the bridal shower, even before the bride, and promptly rewarded myself with a margarita for my efforts.  To say that this shower was organized would be an understatement.  There was a trivial pursuit theme and each category had something to do with the bride, Sherry.  There was a category by the drink section (i.e. What is Sherry's favorite mixed drink) and a category by the gifts, her childhood photos , etc. 

Sherry happens to be one of my best girlfriends from college.  She was one of my teammates and roommates and we, along with two other teammates/roommates, called ourselves The Core.  Sherry and I share a particularly important bond, however, because we both specialized in the 3k steeplechase as our race.  We've suffered through intense hurdle workouts and survived jumping over and in freezing cold water pits together and I love her to pieces.  I can't wait for her wedding next month! 

Sherry, the gorgeous bride

 Taylor, our fellow CORE member and a bridesmaid

Lisa, Sherry's twin sister and Maid of Honor

Sherry opening one of the many gifts she received.  I think we succeeded in showering Sherry with everything she and Matt will need for their marriage!

Sherry and I did take a photo together but the girl who took it completely cut our heads off!  Oh well!

A Fly on the Marriage Wall

Katie: JON! The traditional gift for 3rd wedding anniversaries is leather!! (Smugly) Looks like I'm getting a fucking leather handbag this year.

Jon: I think you're asking for ass-less leather chaps.

Katie: (glares) I'm totally blogging this.

Fabulous Find Friday - Rainy Day Edition

Here are some things brightening my day, despite the clouds and raindrops...

You guys know how I love a good deal.  These beautiful lilac earrings from the aptly named Etsy shop ThreeDollarEarrings are only, as you might have guessed, $3!  Nothing in her collection costs more than $9 and each piece is lovely and delicate.  I especially love the brass work on this pair.

 

Jon and I already have a similar new bedding set tucked away for when we move and upgrade to a king-sized bed, but I can't resist the bold apple/lime green leaf print in this one from late designer Maija Isola at Crate & Barrel.  I think it would be pretty tough to wake up in a bad mood tucked into that cheery design.  At $119 for a king-sized duvet cover ($129 for the comforter), it's definitely affordable and you could always add your own sheet and pillow accents from Marshall's or Target to save more money.

 

I tend to wear a lot of turquoise because it accentuates my eyes and looks good with my skin tone.  However, I made a self-imposed rule this summer that I wouldn't buy any more turquoise dresses because I already own so many.  I might have to break it if this beauty goes on an even deeper sale at Banana Republic (it's currently at $98, down from $130).  I think it would look fabulous with a bright yellow belt, don't you?

Happy Friday, everyone!

Last year, le petit chic became la petite chic and found a home in my very own URL.  I also scoured the country in pursuit of the perfect yellow sundress.

Things I've Neglected to Mention...

• I completely missed my two year blogoversary back on April 26th.  Whoops!  I was planning on doing a giveaway and everything to celebrate!  Seeing as how I never managed to keep a diary for longer than two months (who am I kidding, two weeks), I'm very proud of myself for sticking this out for so long.  Some days the posts come easy, some days they don't come at all, but I feel so grateful to have all of life's little happenings documented in this way. 
  
  
• For those of you playing along, June marks eight months of living birth control free.  While we're not disappointed to not be pregnant yet, it does raise concerns as to what exactly is wrong with me.  (Like, why I've only had a visit from Aunt Flo once in all that time).  We plan on taking further action in September (read: see a fertility specialist) if things don't happen naturally.  And yes, if you remember, I was diagnosed with PCOS and prescribed Provera and Clomid back in February, but I want to have bloodwork and testing done before I believe/take anything. 
  
  
• In brighter news, we found an incredible new sushi restaurant to call our own and best of all, it's just down the road from us.  The sushi is insanely delicious and inventive and fresh and, oh my goodness, I could just go on and on.  One of our favorite rolls was a Spicy Honey Eel roll which we couldn't get enough of.  And I usually don't even eat eel rolls! 
  
  
• I haven't had a good night's sleep since Monday.  We've had a lot of severe thunderstorms this week and I just so happen to be mama to a little dog who HATES thunderstorms.  Did anyone ever learn that Halloween song "My Old Black Cat" in elementary school?  I loved that song!  "My old black cat hates Halloween.  He shakes and quakes and cries."  Substitute dog for cat and thunderstorms for Halloween and that is Lola.  And the only place she feels secure is sitting on the pillow right by your head.  Like I said, I haven't had a good night's sleep since Monday.
  
  
• I am champing at the bit to start house hunting.  I'm so afraid that we're going to miss out on these record low interest rates, but for now we can only sit back and wait while we pay back the money we borrowed from our 401(k) and other loans to make up for the difference in the sale of our condo.  I keep finding dream houses and get so disappointed knowing that they won't be around when we're ready to buy.  Patience has never been my strong point, but there's not a thing I can do about it until we're financially sound.  Unless, of course, I become a high paid call girl and then maybe I could make the money back in a few weeks!  I kid, I kid.  Jon doesn't like to share. :)

Last year, I finally returned to blogging after our European adventure.  I can't believe it's been a whole year!

Some Beach, Somewhere....

I must admit that recovering from oral surgery at the beach is the way to go.  Sunshine, cold beer, yummy (soft) seafood, salt water...what more could you need? 

We stopped by Seacrets before dinner one night and saw the cutest little family of ducks swim by the pub tables in the water.  

I love going there because the atmosphere reminds me so much of Sandals resorts.  You know, drinking in the water, island music, people hanging out in swimsuits...my kind of place!  Jon brought our son, Pleepleus, along to join in the fun.

On a recommendation from my uncle, we discovered a new hangout, Fish Tales, that we absolutely fell in love with.  Like Seacrets, it also faces the bay side and has colorful adirondock chairs lining the docks.  The crowd was a little more mature, not really in age, but in behavior, so it was a nice place to grab drinks and dinner after a long day at the beach.  Apparently I was so enamored with it that I forgot to take pictures, but here's one I grabbed from their website.

Pretty, huh?  As I mentioned in my last post, my parents were in Ocean City for the annual Ravens Roost Convention.  They held a big parade on Saturday and each Roost entered floats with a tiki bar theme.  My dad's Roost didn't win, but I thought their float was pretty amazing, regardless.

They even had a moving shark swimming after a Raven!

My favorite float was one made entirely from soda cans, mostly Welch's to be exact.

Can you imagine how much soda they had to drink?  Mind you, this float was huge; it was being towed by a tractor trailer!

Like most beach vacations, ours ended much too soon, but it was so nice to get away for a long weekend.  We'll be back in July for a whole week with Jon's family.  I'm already counting down the days!